Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Evans’

ABSTRACT

A Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Evans’ characterized by its small sized blooms with purple ray-florets and Yellow-green disc florets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Evans’ is a product of a breeding-program which had the objective ofcreating new chrysanthemum cultivars with a daisy type flower, a 7 weekresponse and a medium plant height. The new plant of the presentinvention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant.‘Evans’ is a seedling from a cross in a breeding program maintainedunder the control of inventor. The female parent is ‘Elgon’ (U.S. Plantpatent application Ser. No. 09/276,697), the male parent is ‘Elliot’(U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/562,283). A comparison with theparents is made in this description. The new and distinct cultivar wasdiscovered and selected as a flowering plant within the progeny of thestated cross by Rob Noodelijk in a controlled environment (greenhouse)in Rijsenhout Holland in April 1997. The first act of asexualreproduction of ‘Evans’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings weretaken from the initial selection in June 1997 in a controlledenvironment in Rijsenhout Holland.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemumbearing small sized blooms with purple ray-florets and Yellow-green discflorets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum isshown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true aspossible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the foliage of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of chrysanthemum is of the botanical classificationChrysanthemum morifolium. The observations and measurements weregathered from plants grown in a greenhouse in Rijsenhout Holland in aphoto-periodic controlled crop under conditions generally used incommercial practice. The greenhouse temperatures during this crop wereat day-time between 18° C. and 25° C. and at night 20° C. Thephoto-periodic response time in this crop was 52 days after an averageof eight long days. After this long day period to flowering growthretardants were applied 6 times in an average dose of 1.5 gram/literwater. The plants were observed (directly) during the flowering of thiscrop. No tests were done on disease or insect resistance orsusceptibility. No tests were done on cold or drought tolerance. Thisnew variety produces small sized blooms with purple ray-florets andYellow-green disc-florets blooming on the plant for 5 weeks. This newvariety of chrysanthemum has been found to retain its distinctivecharacteristics throughout successive propagations however the phenotypemay vary significantly with variations in environment such as lightintensity and temperature. To show the phenotype as described ‘Evans’can be planted without assimilation lightning (high pressure sodiumlamps) between week 50 and week 40 of the next year under greenhouseconditions in Holland. With assimilation lightning (minimum level 2500lux) it can be planted year round under greenhouse conditions inHolland.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivarin comparison to ‘Evans’ is ‘Elgon’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser.No. 09/276,697). When ‘Elgon’ and ‘Evans’ are being compared thefollowing differences are noticed: The difference of ‘Elgon’ and ‘Evans’are: (1) Flower size (2) Flower color and (3) growth. The differencewith the male parent Elliot is the flower color.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics thatdistinguish ‘Evans’ as a new and distinct variety. The colordesignations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, anydiscrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted inthe photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart usedin this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,edition 1995.

Botanical description of Cultivar ‘Evans’

Bud:

Size.—Medium;cross-section 1.2 cm, height 1.0 cm.

Outside color.—Red-purple 70 B.

Involucral bracts.—2 rows, length 7 mm, width 3 mm.

Involucral bracts among disc-florets.—Not present.

Involucral bracts color.—Green 138 B.

Bloom:

Type.—Daisy.

Height.—Flat.

Size.—Small.

Fully expanded.—5.0-5.5 cm.

Number of blooms per branch.—Approx. 4 blooms per branch.

Performance on the plant.—5 weeks.

Seeds.—Produced in large quantities, oval shaped, grey-brown 199A, 2 mmin length.

Fragrance.—Typical chrysanthemum.

Color:

Center of the flower (disc-florets).—Immature yellow-green 143 C. Matureyellow-green 144 C.

Color of upper surface of the ray-florets.—Red-purple 70 B.

Color of the lower surface of the ray-florets.—Purple 75 A.

Tonality from distance.—A pot mum with purple flowers and a green disc.

Color of the surface of the ray-florets after aging of the plant.—Nodiscoloration.

Ray florets:

Texture.—Upper and under side smooth.

Number.—23-25.

Cross-section.—Flat to concave.

Longitudinal axis of majority.—Straight.

Length of corolla tube.—Very short.

Ray-floret length.—2.0-2.2 cm.

Ray-floret width.—1.2 cm.

Ratio length / width.—Very low.

Shape of tip.—Round.

Disc florets:

Disc diameter.—1.3-1.5 cm.

Distribution of disc florets.—Numerous, clearly visible at all stages offlowering.

Shape.—Tubular.

Color.—Yellow-green 143 C.

Receptacle shape.—Conical raised.

Reproductive organs:

Stamen (present in disc florets only).—Very thin, 3 mm in length.

Number of stamen.—4.

Stamen color.—Green.

Pollen.—No pollen.

Styles (present in both ray and disc florets).—Thick.

Style color.—Yellow-green.

Style length.—4 mm.

Stigmas.—Yellow green.

Stigma width.—1 mm.

Ovaries.—Enclosed in calyx.

Plant:

Form.—A pot mum meant for indoor use.

Growth habit.—Spreading.

Growth rate.—Slow.

Height.—25.0-27.0 cm.

Width.—25.0 cm.

Stem color.—Green 138 B.

Stem strength.—Very strong.

Stem brittleness.—Absent.

Stem anthocyanin coloration.—Absent.

Length of lateral branch.—From top to bottom 11.0-13.0 cm.

Lateral branch color.—Green 138 B.

Lateral branch, attachment.—Very strong.

Branching (average number of lateral branches).—Good with 4-5 breaksafter pinching.

Peduncle length.—2.5-3.0 cm.

Peduncle color.—Green 138 B.

Flowering response(photo-periodic controlled crop, not naturalseason.—52 Days.

Foliage:

Color mature.—Upper side Green 137A. Under side Green 138B.

Color immature.—Upper side Green 137A. Under side Green 138B.

Size.—Medium; length 7.0 cm, width 5.5 cm.

Quantity (number per lateral branch).—5-6.

Shape.—Oval.

Texture upper side.—Glabrous.

Texture under side.—Pubescent.

Venation arrangement.—Palmate.

Shape of the margin.—Serrated.

Shape of base of sinus between lateral lobes.—Round.

Margin of sinus between lateral lobes.—Diverging.

Shape of base.—Acute.

Apex.—Mucronate.

Differences with the comparison varieties When grown under the sameconditions ‘Evans’ ‘Elgon’ ‘Elliot’ Flower color Red-purple 70BRed-purple 73B Red 53A Flower size 5.0-5.5 cm 6.0-6.5 cm growth slowmoderate

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum plant asdescribed and illustrated.